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OROVILLE–Dayton-Waitsburg wrestler Carlos Norris is headed to state again.

The 138-lb. wrestler, who practices and competes at matches with the Pomeroy Pirates, coached by Head Coach Ben Slaybaugh, and Asst. Coach Mat Slaybaugh, pinned two wrestlers on his way to the championship match but lost by fall in the third round to finish second.

At state, Norris (27-5) will wrestle Josh Haas of Liberty High School, Spangle, in the first round.

"I am going against a kid from Liberty I've wrestled before," Norris said. "I've beat him before.

Norris is in the opposite bracket as Colin Silverthorn of Tonasket, the wrestler who took the Regional championship away from Norris in a close, hard-fought match.

At regionals here last Saturday, February 15, Norris and Silverthorn battled it out, the score 2-1 at the end of the first round. "It was 2-2 for the whole second round," Norris said, "then in the third round, he caught me and pinned me."

Norris is hoping for a rematch at state, with a different outcome, of course. "If everything plays out right," Norris said, "We hope to see him in the finals. He's a junior and a two-time state champ."

In the opening match at Oroville, Norris pinned Pedro Ferrer of Kittitas in the second round. This pitted Norris against Chris Rodriguez of Tonasket.

Norris made quick work of Rodriguez, executing a takedown and pin in 39 seconds, sending him to the championship match.

This is the Dayton-Waitsburg wrestler's third appearance at state. Last year, Norris finished just out of the medal round at a tournament upended by February snowstorms that hampered regional meets across the state and brought most regional competitors to an improvised state tournament. As a sophomore, Norris finished fourth in the 132-lb. division.

-Submitted photo

Pomeroy Pirate Braedyn White readies to pin his opponent in action from the 1B/2B Region 3 Tournament in Reardan last weekend. White is one of two Pomeroy wrestlers who qualified for the state match and he will compete in the 170-lb. division.

Norris was coached at Regionals by Tracy Pearson due to Pomeroy competing in Reardan on the same day.

At the 1B/3B Region 3 tournament in Reardan last weekend, two Pomeroy wrestlers qualified for state.

Braedyn White finished third in the 170-lb. division, and Will Winona was fourth in the 182-lb. classification, both garnering berths in the state tourney. Curtis Winona will go to state as an alternate in the 160-lb. division

White won against Wyatt Corrigan of WCK by fall at :46, was pinned by Kaden Krause of Chewelah at 1:37, then finished with a decision over Greyson Merrill of Davenport and a technical fall, 17-1, over Sven Rasmussen of Selkirk.

Will Winona advanced to the second round when a Chewelah wrestler forfeited. He was pinned by Sam Schneider of Davenport at 2:36 and Sam Nelson of Liberty, finishing fourth

At state, White, a sophomore, will first meet Jerimyah Johnson of Wahluke. In the 182-lb. bracket, Winona will go against Jacob Sullivan of Liberty Christian.